Crematorium to Generate Energy from Burned Corpses

Now this is people power: A crematorium in the U.K. plans on capturing the heat given off from its furnaces and turning it into usable energy. Expect some controversy on this one, no matter how pragmatic the plan to install electricity-generating turbines in the Durham facility really are. After all, it's burning corpses that will be turning the turbine blades.

A crematorium wants to install turbines in two of its burners to generate electricity. The burners at Durham Crematorium would use the heat generated during the cremation process to provide the same amount of electricity as would power 1,500 TVs.

A third burner is to be used to provide heating for the site's chapel and its offices. The scheme would be the first of its kind in the UK but industry experts say that it could be followed by other similar projects.

Crematoria aren't exempt from efficiency standards that are requiring industries across the board in the U.K. to clean up their acts. As such, many institutions are replacing their furnaces anyways, to reduce mercury emissions. Perhaps the time is ripe to install turbines while they're at it, and capitalize on the energy given off by the burning dead folks.

In all seriousness, this makes perfect sense -- even if it is the equivalent of Soylent Green for energy production. I, for one, would rest a little easier if I knew that my body would whip up some clean power after I bit the dust.